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The latest trailer for the next Venom film, The Last Dance, revealed who the villain will be for the final instalment of Tom Hardy’s comic book anti-hero trilogy... news that has come as a major surprise for the character’s creators.
The trailer, which starts with Venom fighting another symbiote alien on top of a plane, is set to be the last time Hardy plays the character in Sony’s Spider-Man spin-off universe.
Until now, there had been no news on who Venom’s adversary would be in the film, but the new snippet reveals it to be the ominous Knull.
The character was first introduced in Marvel comics in 2018 and is described as a god who has created all of the other symbiotes.
Knull’s inclusion in the film has surprised a lot of fans but none more so than the character’s creators, artist Ryan Stegman and writer Donny Cates.
The pair first debuted Knull in Venom vol. four issue three and has quickly become one of the most powerful and dangerous villains in all of Marvel comics.
Responding to the revelation that Knull will now be making his bow on the big screen, Stegman wrote on X/Twitter: “Yes, I did co-create Knull. No, I didn’t know until today that he was gonna be in Venom: The Last Dance.”
Seeing a sense of humour to the situation, Stegman added: “Yes, I do expect to finally be able to afford that lazy river moat around my house.”
On a similar note Cates wrote in response: “You guys, I just had the weirdest dream….”
He later followed that with another post, simply writing ‘lol’ and an image of the word ‘money in the Venom font.
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In an update, Cates has revealed that he has since spoken to Sony, and appears to have been impressed after being permitted to read the script.
He wrote: “I’ve been talking with Sony and I read a script for Venom: The Last Dance, and I’ll say this; it is so much bigger, and so much more ambitious than you can imagine. And, um….KNULL. Holy s***. That’s how you treat a king. Happy Birthday to me.”
In 2021 both Marvel and DC Comics faced criticism over the alleged compensation offered to comic book writers whose works are adapted into films.
A new report in The Guardian scrutinised the contractual practices at the two major comic publishers, months after writer Ed Brubaker published a blog post criticising Marvel Studios’ use of his character, The Winter Soldier.
Brubaker created The Winter Soldier in 2005 alongside Steve Epting. The character would go on to feature in several Marvel Studios films (played by Sebastian Stan) and recently starred in the Disney Plus TV series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
In the post, Brubaker claimed: “All Steve Epting and I have got for creating the Winter Soldier and his storyline is a ‘thanks’ here or there, and over the years that’s become harder and harder to live with.”
The Guardian’s report alleged: “According to multiple sources, when a writer or artist’s work features prominently in a Marvel film, the company’s practice is to send the creator an invitation to the premiere and a check for $5,000.
Sony has been contacted for comment.
Venom: The Last Dance is set to hit cinemas on 25 October and will also star Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple.
